n

n

n

n

n?”I haven’t made a specific decision yet, but they are among the potential candidates,” Antalya said calmly.

n“Then why did you speak like that?” Greg seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, “You sounded like you had decided to step down.”

n“I have indeed made that decision,” Antalya nodded this time.

n“Honestly, we are no longer suited for taking on quests, my situation aside, you also don’t have a successor, do you? If that’s the case, the adventure group might just get disbanded under our watch!”

n“Right now, our priority isn’t undertaking quests, but finding suitable successors!”

nAntalya’s words left Greg feeling somewhat disheartened.

nShe was right, but such a decision wasn’t easy to make.

nFor him, the adventure group was everything, and now he was expected to hand over everything he had to someone else… potentially a stranger!

nIt was a concept that anyone would struggle to come to terms with in the moment.

nWith his head bowed in thought and Antalya silent, merely sitting and observing him, she seemed much older than her appearance suggested.

nDespite looking only seventeen or eighteen, Antalya exuded an elder’s aura, making Greg seem like nothing more than a restless young man in her presence.

nAfter a long contemplation, Greg seemed to reach a decision.

nHe looked up at Antalya, “I respect your decision, if you choose them as successors. But, I won’t easily hand over the adventure group… If they can’t meet the standards, even if the adventure group is to be disbanded, I won’t pass the flag to them!”

n“Of course.” Antalya smiled too, but her smile carried a hint of mischief and triumph, laced with anticipation.

n“Ali, what do you think… about the quest the manager mentioned… What level of difficulty might it be?”

nHoward sat on the bed, with Jelia beside him, obediently letting Howard help her comb her hair.

nAlthough there were no suitable clothes to change into, Howard had still helped Jelia wash her face.

nThe little orc seemed somewhat unaccustomed to these kind of affectionate gestures, not resisting but appearing somewhat flustered.

n“I’m not quite sure, but if the opponent is also a level 3 magus… I suppose it could be an iron-level or maybe even bronze-level quest,” Ali speculated, uncertain.

nShe smiled as she watched Howard carefully comb Jelia’s hair, “Seeing you and Vivia usually messing around, I wouldn’t have guessed you’re adept at such delicate tasks.”

n“It’s just practice,” Howard replied with a smile, having been married before.

nAfter tying Jelia’s ponytail with a simple hairband and gently pressing down her hair, he touched the tips of her ears.

n“There, go look in the mirror.”

nDespite still being a bit nervous, the innate desire to look beautiful seemed ingrained in Jelia.

nAs soon as Howard let go, she hopped off the bed and scampered to the mirror to see her reflection.

nHoward then asked, “Have you ever faced a level 3 magus? Not just sparring.”

n“No,” Ali answered almost immediately.

n“What about you?”

n“No, I haven’t either,” Howard casually replied.

n“Both of us being novices, I doubt the manager would assign us a task that’s too difficult. Otherwise, we might just botch the quest.”

n“Antalya should have a sense of what’s appropriate.”

nBefore Ali could respond, the slightly ajar door was pushed open, and Greg, with his thick beard, appeared in their field of view.

n“You two are novices. In the adventurer circles, you’re not even considered greenhorns yet!” Greg said as he walked into the room.

n“While the threshold to become an adventurer is low, it doesn’t mean just anyone can become one.”

n“Official adventurers have a minimum yearly quest quota they must fulfill on their own. If they fail to meet this quota, the association has the authority to either revoke their adventurer status or demote them!”

n“Even if you become adventurers, without someone to guide you, it’ll be difficult to maintain your status!”

nBreeze City doesn’t have an official branch of the adventurer’s guild, only an office for handling quest transactions, and not many outside of official adventurers are privy to this knowledge.

nGreg’s disclosure was meant to prepare Howard and Ali mentally.

nHaving an adventurer certification doesn’t mean you can rest easy.

nAntalya certainly won’t let them be; instead, she will continually push them to grow.

nStarting today, Antalya will no longer be the gentle and kind manager sister but will become an unforgiving drill instructor.

n“Of course, since you’ve chosen to become our companions, we will take up the responsibility to train you, as is the tradition among adventurers. So, don’t expect to slack off. Antalya will assign tasks suited to your abilities based on your strengths,” Greg said with a serious expression.

nThis made Howard and Ali realize: he wasn’t joking.

nAlthough they wouldn’t be thrown into the fire, Antalya wasn’t about to let them live comfortably either.

n“If you feel you can’t handle it, you can always ask Antalya to opt out.” Greg said, a cold sneer crossing his face.

nAlthough his thick beard obscured his exact expression, both could discern his disdain and scorn through his eyes.

nWhat you gain always equals what you put in.

nThis is an unbreakable truth in any world.

nNo one gives without reason, and no one receives without cost.

n“That’s all I wanted to say. Besides that, nothing changes between us.”

nGreg laughed, his voice carrying the distinct rasp and roughness characteristic of dwarves.

nMid-laugh, he clapped Ali on the shoulder, “Well, well, a half-elf! No wonder you stood out from the start!”

nAli, still seemingly puzzled, asked, “Is my appearance that noticeable?”

n“Haven’t you realized?” Greg looked at Ali as if she were an oddity, paused as if a thought struck him, and then his expression cleared, “Well, if you’ve always lived in that kind of environment, it makes sense you’d be oblivious to this aspect.

nThere’s a reason for everything, after all.”

n“What aspect?” Ali pressed, but Greg didn’t elaborate further.

n“So that’s it,” Howard nodded, “I was wondering why she seemed a bit off.” 𝘳𝘦.𝒸𝑜𝘮

n“Eh? Is something wrong with me?”

n“Rather than saying something’s wrong… it’s more like, is there anything normal about you!” Greg retorted, attempting to pat Ali’s shoulder but, due to his height, ended up slapping her back instead, “Well, to gain something is to lose another; that’s also part of balance.”

n“True normalcy can’t be deliberately achieved,” Howard added, “When you understand the meaning of this, you’ll know what’s wrong with you.”

nDespite Ali’s continuous efforts to blend in and appear more ordinary, she was doomed to fail from the start.

nWhether it was Antalya or Howard, the first thing they noticed was her.

nThat’s why Antalya moved her from hosting to the kitchen, and why Howard always tried to avoid excessive contact with her.

n“Do you guys have any plans next, or is it free time now?” Greg shifted from the previous conversation, standing behind Jelia, adjusting his beard in the mirror.

nJelia ran back to the bed in a slight panic, clutching the hem of Howard’s shirt.

n“I was thinking of taking Jelia out for a walk, buy some things, and get familiar with the surroundings,” Howard said, ruffling Jelia’s hair and looking towards Ali, “Do you have any plans?”

n“I’ll stay in,” said Ali.

n“Then I’ll head out,” Howard smiled at Jelia, touching her head, “Let’s go.”

n“Mhm,” Jelia nodded.

nGetting up and bidding farewell to Greg, who was engrossed in grooming his beard, Howard took Jelia’s small hand and left the room, closing the door behind him.

nTurning around, his gaze met Vivia’s as she emerged from the room across the hall.

n“What a coincidence… Are you heading out?” Howard greeted, somewhat awkwardly.

n“Sort of, I need to buy some things,” Vivia responded, her tone slightly cold as if she was holding something back.

nGlancing at Jelia by Howard’s side, Vivia’s brow furrowed, but Howard didn’t notice.

n“Are you taking Jelia out with you?”

n“Yes,” Howard nodded.

n“Her clothes are too worn out. I thought of getting her something better to wear.”

n“Is that so…” Vivia paused before adding, “When you get back, there’s something I want to talk to you about.”

nHoward nodded, walking past Vivia with Jelia in tow.

nVivia remained still, watching as Howard and Jelia’s figures disappeared at the end of the hallway.

n“What are you thinking…” Leaning against the wall, Vivia pressed her eyes with her hands, murmuring to herself, “What are you going to tell him?”

nNew novel chapters are published on .

n